Mayor of Oakham Coun David Romney officially opened the new QD discount store in Oakham this morning (Thurs).

The 8,000 sq ft store - which has created 21 jobs - is located in the former Fords of Oakham Church Street premises.

It was officially opened at 9am by Coun Romney and Mayoress Diane Smith, who kicked off the celebrations which will last into the weekend.

Family activities planned at QD on Saturday (9 Nov) include free face painting from 10.30am to 3pm, giveaways galore and gift vouchers up for grabs for lucky customers throughout the day.

Coun Romney said: "I am delighted to officially open the new QD here in Oakham. The store has created 21 new jobs which is very welcome news for the area.

"We are sure QD will be a great addition to the town."

Store manager Aneta Ozya said: "It was an honour to have the Mayor and Mayoress officially open our new store today.

"It has been very busy since we opened our doors at 9am and feedback has been fantastic.

"We're not just another discount shop – customers have been really surprised by the great quality of our products and they love our value guaranteed offering.

"We're very pleased to be here in the town and look forward to bringing more fantastic value, excellent quality and ever-changing spectacular new deals to Oakham in the coming months!"

In return for the Mayor's time, QD has made a donation to his chosen charity – Sunflowers, a weekly support group for parents and carers in Oakham, who have young children with a variety of additional needs.

QD has announced it will be installing a new lift in the store, making it easier for customers to access the home and clothing departments on the first floor.

Installation will begin shortly and, in the meantime, QD staff are happy to help customers if they need any extra assistance.

The QD Group is one of the original high street discount retailers, with the Oakham store bringing the company's total to 27 across the country.